Seven Saints of Talis

Fallout: Dark Heresy

The First Seal

Items Required: The following items are required to perform and complete the Ritual of the First Seal. Purchased, the physical components will cost an average of 1000 ing, though this does not include hiring additional Sorcerers to assist. If the Sorcerer has access to a cult or other organization, many of these costs can be mitigated by having others gather the materials required.

Up to 29 other people to assist with the defense of the ritual site. These people must be robed as the Sorcerer is robed, and may wield only one-handed melee weapons to be used in their right hands. They may summon Watchers, but no other spirit or daemon.

A bolt of fine silk.

Skills Required: The Sorcerer must possess the following Skills and/or Talents to successfully complete this ritual:

Sorcery or Master Sorcerer

Survival or Tech-Use

Scholastic Lore: Occult

Forbidden Lore: Daemonology

Ritual Preparations: Prior to enacting this ritual, the Sorcerer must observe a period of purification, lasting one month. During this time, he or she may not shed blood not their own, may not partake of alcohol or other intoxicants, must bathe twice daily, and may not engage in sexual activity, save at a temple or shrine dedicated to Inanna As’Ishtar. Once this period of purification is observed, the Sorcerer should ritually cleanse the tools to be used during the ritual, don a robe of a color appropriate to their faith, and perform the ritual preparations.

Ritual Conditions: The ritual can be performed on the 13th day of any month, provided it is not a night of a new moon. If it should happen to be a night of a full moon, the character receives a +5 bonus to any Tests required by the ritual. If both moons are full, this bonus increases to + 10.

The ritual is best performed outside, though a chamber bare of furnishings and that does not permit a light to be suspended from its ceiling is also appropriate. The altar should be placed against the north wall, set about with at least two silver candles. The remaining candles used should match the other six of the seven saints in color, but the silver candles should be the largest.

The process of this ritual is a taxing ordeal, both physically and mentally. At the completion of each stage, the Sorcerer must pass the listed tests or suffer the provided consquences.

Stage One

Story: After all the ritual preparations are complete, the Sorcerer (and any assistants present) will then summon their Watchers. With this complete, give thanks to Seskin Anna’Suen and light the fires beneath the crucible. Place the silver ingot into the crucible and stoke the flames so that the silver will melt over the course of an hour’s time. When the ingot is fully melted, pour it into the basin so that it forms a smooth pool, no more than one inch in depth.

Mechanics: Properly lighting the fires for the crucible requires a Very Easy (+ 30) Tech-Use or Survival test. Pouring the silver into the basin should be automatic, assuming the Sorcerer read the ritual beforehand and acquired a basin no deeper than an inch.

Ordeal: The Sorcerer must pass a Challenging (+0) Intelligence Test or suffer 1d10 Insanity Points per degree of failure.

Also, upon completion of Stage One, the GM makes a Psychic Phenomenon Test, centering its results on the altar.

Stage Two

Story: Having cast the silver to form the Seal, the Sorcerer recites the Invocation of Seskin Anna’Suen over the basin for one hour, and then takes up the ritual knife. The sorcerer then draws a measure of blood into the chalice from his right hand using the ritual knife. Using the ritual knife and the blood in the chalice, the Sorcerer then inscribes the runes into the Seal, anointing the blade as needed. Near the end of the fourth hour, the runes will be complete.

Mechanics: The drawing of the blood inflicts 1 Wound on the Sorcerer, ignoring Armor and Toughness. Inscribing the Runes requires a successful Scholastic Lore: Occult test.

Ordeal: The Sorcerer must pass a Difficult (-10) Toughness Test or suffer 1 level of Fatigue for every degree of failure. If the Sorcerer passes out, the ritual has failed.

As before, the Ritual generates one Psychic Phenomenon, centered on the altar.

Stage Three

Story: Using the ritual knife, the Sorcerer gathers up a measure of ash from the crucible as well as from the sacred incense, and mixes these with the blood remaining in the chalice. Stirring it thrice deosil with the ritual knife, the Sorcerer then anoints the seal with the mixture, and pries the seal from the basin with the edge of the knife. He then wraps the Seal in a bolt of fine silk and sets it aside until such time as it is needed.

Mechanics: The Sorcerer makes a Scholastic Lore: Occult Test to properly prepare the mixture, anoint the Seal, and remove it from the basin. To complete the bindings, the Sorcerer must pass a Difficult (-10) Forbidden Lore: Daemonology Test.

Ordeal: The Sorcerer must pass a Very Hard (-20) Willpower Test or suffer 1d10 Corruption Points per degree of failure.

As before, the ritual will invoke a Psychic Phenomenon, centered on the altar.

Ritual Results: The Seal of Seskin Anna’Suen provides the following benefits:

Unnatural Toughness (x2) against any attack made by a creature with the Daemonic or Warp Creature traits.

Unnatural Willpower (x2) against any Psychic attack made against the wearer.

+1 Psy Rating while wearing the Seal.

Once per hour per night, the wearer of the Seal may meditate for 30 minutes and gain +30 to any single Lore test or Intelligence-based test, as the Saint reveals secret wisdom to the wearer.